meanwhile, back in blighty...

Oh the glamour. The highlight of my bank holiday weekend was the rain holding off long enough to catch up on the washing, mow the lawn and get on with a bit more clearing up at Pear Tree Cottage.

I'm afraid my poor hands have suffered a bit- remind me to wear gloves next time!


Today, my dad came round to help out with the gardening and brought with him a mixture of foraged bits and bobs and some potatoes from his friends' allotment. Just watch that greedy little hand creeping in to snatch an apple...


Needless to say she wasn't too impressed when she took a bite! (Don't ask what she's wearing- some sort of medley of dressing up costumes).


The cooking apples were put to good use though and went into a crumble with the blackberries- perfect for a post gardening feast for everyone. I'm afraid by the time I thought to take a picture it was all gone!


Another thrifty gift from my dad was this kitsch-tastic '70s WI preserving book that he had picked up in a charity shop. Whilst most of the recipes are very appetising, there are a few that sound decidedly dubious- mushroom ketchup or marrow and ginger jam, anyone??


It is also full of tips for entering your preserves into shows...

'Clean and polish the outside of the jars or bottles. A cloth moistened with a few drops of methylated spirit, is excellent for giving a sparkling finish to all glass containers. Handle the container carefully after polishing, to prevent finger marking.'

eep!

Whilst I hardly anticipate entering into a jam show any time soon, I used my last little bit of free bank holiday time to boil up some plum jam with the plums at Pear Tree Cottage, leaving a jar on the doorstep for the landlady. Unfortunately my little kitchen is far too poky for a store cupboard, but the shelves are rapidly filling up with our various jams and chutneys. I'm thinking my next preserving venture might be dried apple rings...